ABI – 487 million mobile HD voice subscribers in 2015

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) predicts that there will be over 487 million mobile HD voice subscribers by 2015.

Principal analyst Fritz Jordan says that HD voice will find traction in developing markets because the upgrade to it not “especially expensive” and that newer 3G networks (circa 2005-2006) can already use HD voice with a software upgrade and a changeover to HD handsets.

Growth is expected to ramp up quickly in 2013 and then “skyrocket” starting in 2014, with traction first starting in Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Older 3G infrastructure in North America and Western Europe “must be changed” to a new format.

With Orange pioneering HD voice in Europe, Jordan says Vodafone is “watching carefully… and will likely follow suit” as Orange picks up subscribers spending more time (i.e. billable minutes) on calls.